IRELAND · SPORTIVE

RING OF BEARA TRAINING PLAN.

Ring of Beara is the coastal Kerry sportive — 140km around the wildest peninsula in Ireland, with the Caha Mountains and Healy Pass as the defining climbs. Smaller field than Wicklow 200, steeper climbs.

140 km·2,200 m climbing·5-8 hours·May

THE OVERVIEW

WHAT THE RING OF BEARA ACTUALLY IS

TERRAIN

140km around the Beara Peninsula on quiet single-track lanes, with two named climbs and a steady drip of unnamed rises connecting them. Punchier than its distance suggests — the climbing is concentrated in the back half, and the surface includes potholed bog road on a couple of stretches.

WEATHER

Early May on the Atlantic edge of Kerry is unpredictable. Expect anywhere from 10°C and dry to 6°C with horizontal rain off the bay. The exposed coastal sections add 5-10 km/h of crosswind even on a calm day, and the descent off Healy Pass is genuinely cold even when the valleys are warm.

FITNESS DEMANDS

WHAT YOU NEED TO ARRIVE WITH.

MINIMUM FTP

2.6 W/kg

to finish, well-fuelled

COMPETITIVE FTP

3.4 W/kg

to ride the day on your terms

ENDURANCE

8-10 hours/week of structured riding for at least 10 weeks out, with the long ride built up to 4-5 hours over rolling terrain. You need at least one 3-hour ride that includes a 30-minute sustained climb in the legs before race day — the Healy Pass is unforgiving of riders who have only trained on flatter terrain.

WHY THESE NUMBERS MATTER HERE

The Healy Pass at km 100 is the day. 2.6 W/kg with disciplined pacing finishes inside 8 hours; 3.4+ W/kg holds the front group over the top of Healy and lets you actually ride the descent rather than survive it.

CLIMBING DEMANDS

THE CLIMBS, IN ORDER.

Around 2,200m of climbing across 140km — that's 16m/km, modest on paper, deceptive in practice. The first 80km are rolling with two controllable rises. Healy Pass at km 100 is where the day is decided. Riders who arrive at the base fresh climb it and finish strong; riders who paced the rolling section too hard crack on the steep middle and walk the back half.

CAHA PASS

KM 55

4.5 km·5.2% avg·234 m gain

The opener that lulls riders into thinking the day is comfortable. Steady aerobic effort, but every minute over threshold here costs you double on Healy.

HEALY PASS

KM 100

7.4 km·6.5% avg·12% max·480 m gain

The day's signature climb. Long switchbacks on the south side, sustained 6-8% on the harder middle section. Pace it sub-threshold — the riders who try to PR it after 100km in the legs are the ones grinding 50rpm at the top.

EXPECTED FINISH TIMES

WHERE YOU'LL LAND.

Use these bands to set a realistic goal. Pick the band closest to your current fitness — not the one above it. Pacing a band you haven't earned is the fastest way to a back-half blow-up.

FIRST-TIME FINISHER

7-8 hours

FTP 2.4-2.8 W/kg, 6-8 hours of riding per week, longest ride 3-4 hours.

AVERAGE ENTHUSIAST

6-7 hours

FTP 2.8-3.3 W/kg, 8-10 hours per week, longest ride 4-5 hours, comfortable on sustained climbs.

STRONG AMATEUR

5-6 hours

FTP 3.3-3.8 W/kg, 10-12 hours per week, regular structured climbing intervals, group-ride threshold work.

ELITE AMATEUR / RACER

4:30-5 hours

FTP 3.8+ W/kg, 12-15 hours per week, racing background, technical descending confidence.

Ask Roadman about your Ring of Beara target →

THE TRAINING PLAN

HOW LONG TILL YOUR RING OF BEARA?

Six weeks-out windows, each built around the demands of this course. Pick the one that matches your window today. The framework is free; coaching makes it personal.

16 WEEKS OUT

BASE PHASE

Aerobic foundation. High volume, low intensity. Don't skip this.

12 WEEKS OUT

LATE BASE

Bridge phase. Volume still rules, but structure begins.

8 WEEKS OUT

BUILD PHASE

Structured intensity enters. Threshold + VO2 max work.

4 WEEKS OUT

PEAK PHASE

Event-specific sharpening. Volume drops, quality rises.

2 WEEKS OUT

TAPER

Sharpness is banked. Now shed fatigue.

1 WEEK OUT

RACE WEEK

Don't do anything clever. Eat, sleep, show up.

FUELLING STRATEGY

EAT LIKE THE DAY DEMANDS.

140km on the Beara Peninsula is shorter than Wicklow but more concentrated in its climbing. Target 70-90g of carbohydrate per hour on the bike — that's a gel every 25 minutes plus a bar each hour, or a 70g/hr drink mix paired with one solid item every 90 minutes. Healy Pass has no feed zone — you arrive at the base with a full bottle and a gel in the pocket, or you don't. The official feed at Kenmare is the only reliable refill on the route, so plan around it. Cold weather on the Atlantic side suppresses thirst — drink on a timer rather than waiting for the urge, especially on the climbs.

PACING STRATEGY

RIDE IT IN THE RIGHT ORDER.

Pace the day around Healy Pass, not the flat. The first 80km are rolling with two controllable climbs; resist the urge to chase faster groups, sit at goal heart rate, and bank the legs you'll need at km 100. Caha Pass at km 55 is the warm-up, not the workout. On Healy, target heart rate 5-8 beats below your sportive threshold for the first 4km, then settle into the climb's rhythm — the riders who go full-gas on the first switchback are the ones who blow up on the steep middle. The descent off Healy is technical, narrow, and often wet. Brake early, ride it under control, and hold a measured pace through the back half. From km 130 onwards, finishing strongly is a fuelling and pacing problem — riders who arrive here with reserves overtake dozens.

COMMON MISTAKES

DON'T DO THIS.

Patterns we see at the Ring of Beara every year. Each one has a fix that costs nothing — except the discipline to actually use it on the day.

MISTAKE

Treating Healy Pass like an easy climb because it's 'only' 7km

FIX

Sustained 6-8% with 100km in the legs is a different effort than the same gradient fresh. Pace it sub-threshold for the first half, ignore the riders surging past, and let the back end of the climb be where you actually ride.

MISTAKE

Packing like it's July when it's May on the Atlantic

FIX

Gilet, armwarmers, and full-finger gloves stashed in the jersey. Beara weather punishes the optimistic — a 20g rain cape has saved more Beara riders than any aero gain ever did, and the descent off Healy is colder than the start line.

MISTAKE

Cranking the gearing too hard

FIX

34x32 minimum on Healy. Some riders run 34x34. Walking the steep section is more common than the official photos show — most of those walkers chose 11-28 cassettes at sea level and discovered the difference at Healy.

MISTAKE

Skipping the Kenmare feed because you 'feel fine'

FIX

Kenmare is the only proper refill point on the route. Top up bottles, eat a real piece of food, and roll out within 10 minutes. Riders who skip it run out of water on the Healy descent, which is when the fuelling math goes wrong fast.

ASK ROADMAN

GOT A QUESTION ABOUT THE RING OF BEARA?

The Ring of Beara doesn't have a predictor course yet. Ask Roadman directly — Anthony reads every question and replies with event-specific advice.

Ask Roadman

FAQ

RING OF BEARA TRAINING, ANSWERED.

What FTP do I need for the Ring of Beara Cycle?

The Healy Pass at km 100 is the day. 2.6 W/kg with disciplined pacing finishes inside 8 hours; 3.4+ W/kg holds the front group over the top of Healy and lets you actually ride the descent rather than survive it. A practical floor is 2.6 W/kg to finish; 3.4 W/kg to ride competitively.

How long should I train for the Ring of Beara Cycle?

Most riders benefit from 12-16 weeks of structured preparation. 8-10 hours/week of structured riding for at least 10 weeks out, with the long ride built up to 4-5 hours over rolling terrain. You need at least one 3-hour ride that includes a 30-minute sustained climb in the legs before race day — the Healy Pass is unforgiving of riders who have only trained on flatter terrain. If you have less time, the 8-week and 4-week plans still produce a meaningful result on the right starting fitness.

What's the typical finish time for the Ring of Beara Cycle?

Amateur finishers cover the full range. First-time finisher: 7-8 hours; Average enthusiast: 6-7 hours; Strong amateur: 5-6 hours; Elite amateur / racer: 4:30-5 hours. The difference between bands is climbing fitness and fuelling discipline more than flat speed.

What's the biggest mistake riders make at the Ring of Beara Cycle?

Treating Healy Pass like an easy climb because it's 'only' 7km. Fix: Sustained 6-8% with 100km in the legs is a different effort than the same gradient fresh. Pace it sub-threshold for the first half, ignore the riders surging past, and let the back end of the climb be where you actually ride.

How should I pace the Ring of Beara Cycle?

Pace the day around Healy Pass, not the flat. The first 80km are rolling with two controllable climbs; resist the urge to chase faster groups, sit at goal heart rate, and bank the legs you'll need at km 100. Caha Pass at km 55 is the warm-up, not the workout. On Healy, target heart rate 5-8 beats below your sportive threshold for the first 4km, then settle into the climb's rhythm — the riders who go full-gas on the first switchback are the ones who blow up on the steep middle. The descent off Healy is technical, narrow, and often wet. Brake early, ride it under control, and hold a measured pace through the back half. From km 130 onwards, finishing strongly is a fuelling and pacing problem — riders who arrive here with reserves overtake dozens.

When does the Ring of Beara Cycle take place?

The Ring of Beara Cycle typically runs in May. Count back from your event date and pick the weeks-out plan that matches your window.

WANT THIS BUILT AROUND YOUR FTP?

PLAN MADE FOR YOU, NOT FOR THE AVERAGE.

The framework here gets you in the right territory. Roadman coaching builds it around your FTP, your week, your weeks remaining, and your delivery via TrainingPeaks.

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